A Couple More Interviews With Alex O’Loughlin

As we wrapped up last week, we told you to expect some new press from Alex this week to honor the 150th Hawaii Five 0 episode tonight. We knew that, but what we did not know is Alex would be the only one of the cast doing the interviews and that there would be so many candid ones for fans to sink their teeth into.

A few more came out today and from one in particular, we learned a couple new things about Alex and the show. They include the answers to why he has been flying back and forth to California a lot lately and what his aspirations are for season 8 (if there is one which we have our money on there will be)

We will continue with what we have been doing and provide you some excerpts from each of the interviews.

ALEX: They can’t kill me, man! Irish-Australian blood, I suppose. Irish-Australian stock is why the show is going so well. [Laughs] I don’t know, mate. I can’t put my finger on it. People enjoy watching it and it’s the sums of all of its parts. I think everyone on this show—from the front line where I operate down to the PAs that we work with, all the way up to the writers’ room—puts in 100 percent and then you sprinkle a little bit of alchemy on there and little bit of that x-factor that no one can put their finger on and then you got a hit.

TV Insider: After 150 episodes, is it safe to say that you and your co-stars, Scott Caan, Grace Park, Daniel Dae Kim, Chi McBride, have a pretty good shorthand?

ALEX: Absolutely. We have all had our differences. In the first couple of years everyone’s getting to know each other, everyone’s learning how to adapt to each other’s idiosyncrasies and specific ways of working and all the rest of it. We’re all pretty damn close, man. I got a lot of love for everyone I work with and a lot of respect for everyone that I work with and I think that that really is a testament to all of us as people. I feel more blessed about that aspect about this job then the fact that we’ve done 150-plus episodes.

O’LOUGHLIN: It’s quite extraordinary, in this climate of television, I have to say.

Sidenote: Here’s how extraordinary it really is in this pic below taken from one of earlier posts

Have you thought about where you’d like to see Steve McGarrett end up and have you had any discussions with the writers about that?

O’LOUGHLIN: I don’t really speak to the writers because it’s frustrating for me when we see things differently. I just try to do my best with what they give me. They have their own ideas, and I have my own ideas. Frankly, I think that if my ideas were written down, we probably wouldn’t still be on the air. I don’t know how to make a successful TV show. So, I’m open to it. As long as it’s smart, thought-out, creative and interesting, I’m down with it.

A lot of actors who are thinking about trying their hand at directing seem to do so with an episode of their own TV series. Over the course of seven seasons, have you ever thought about taking on an episode of the show, as a director?

O’LOUGHLIN: I will be directing an episode in Season 8, if we make it that far. I’m here, every day, and I think all of us have a say in the way that it’s going to go, on that day. We all know how the show is shot and how to tell the story. It won’t be that foreign for me to sit in that chair. After this is all over, I hope directing is a part of my career. I don’t think I’m that good at the acting part. I think I’m fine at it, but I think I’m probably a little better at directing. But then again, maybe I’m horrible at it. If they don’t put my episode on the air, than we’ll know that that won’t be a part of my future.

Seven seasons into this show, you’re closer to the end than you are to the beginning, at this point. Have you made a definite decision that eight seasons is it for you?

O’LOUGHLIN: I’ve decided. Beyond anything else, I don’t want to do any more because I don’t want to kill it. It’s still got some magic left in it. It’s hard to keep it alive and fresh. It’s hard to keep it fun and new, each day. I’m worried that I won’t even be able to do that until the end of Season 8, but I’m going to keep swinging until I’m in the box. The other thing is that physically, I’ve had a lot of injuries. I’ve been hurt really badly on this show. I’ve now got some serious back issues, which I’m going back and forth to California to deal with. I don’t want to fuck my body up anymore. I’m getting stem cell treatments in my spine, so that I can pick my kids up. At a certain point, it’s television. Film and TV is not as important as my life. I don’t think I can physically do any more than eight years. We might not even do an eighth year. That’s a little presumptuous of us to even be speaking like this. But, if they want us to do an eighth year, that will be it for me.

Out of all the interviews, Alex has been doing, we have to say our respect and admiration for the man continues to grow. We have always known that he is a solid human being but sometimes it takes adversity to show the real true character of someone. Unfortunately for him, he has had to show a lot of character lately.

All our best to him and everyone involved with the show from top to bottom, as they take their place in television history. Well done!